Eid al-Fitr in Gaza A Day of Sadness and Hunger

Eid al-Fitr is usually a time for happiness, family meetings, and celebrations. But in Gaza on Sunday, it was a time of sadness, hunger, and destruction. Another sad day in the ongoing conflict for the Palestinians in the war-torn region, as more children were killed in bombings and food supplies dropped to dangerously low levels.

In Rafah, anger and mourning intensified as rescue workers retrieved the bodies of 14 emergency responders who were killed in an Israeli attack a week earlier. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies condemned the strike as the deadliest on humanitarian workers since 2017.

The deaths of these rescuers, who gave their lives to help people, made the situation in Gaza even worse. A lot of Palestinians collected outside the wreckage of churches that had been destroyed to pray on Eid, which was very different from the normal happy mood of the holiday. The end of Ramadan, a month of fasting and reflection, is traditionally followed by feasts and new clothes for children.

However, for most of Gaza’s 2 million residents, survival has taken precedence over celebration. Saed al-Kourd, a worshipper in Gaza, expressed the anguish shared by many: “There is killing, displacement, hunger, and a siege. We go out to perform God’s rituals in order to make the children happy, but as for the joy of Eid?

There is no Eid.” The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. The resumption of the Israeli military offensive earlier this month—following the breakdown of ceasefire talks—has resulted in hundreds more Palestinian deaths. Moreover, for the past four weeks, Israel has blocked food, fuel, and humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, exacerbating the already dire conditions.

The war stems from the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the capture of 251 hostages. Since then, truce deals with Hamas have freed many hostages, but there are still 59 prisoners in Gaza, and 24 are thought to be still living.

Because of this, Israel’s latest war mission has done a lot of damage. The Health Ministry in Gaza says that more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed. The Israeli government says that about 20,000 of those killed were attackers, but they haven’t shown any proof. Because of the constant bombings and actions on the ground, almost 90% of Gaza’s people have had to leave their homes.

There are calls from around the world for a truce, but the shooting has not stopped. Arab leaders, such as Egypt and Qatar, have been trying to keep the peace. On Saturday, Hamas said it had agreed to a new truce plan, but the specifics have not been made public.

In the meantime, Israel has made its own offer, working with the US to make sure it is consistent with current diplomacy attempts to end the fighting. In Gaza, not only have people died, but whole areas, churches, and cultural places have been destroyed. More people are hungry and suffering than ever before because of the ban on help and basic things.

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As the war goes on, more and more people in Gaza lose loved ones and give up hope. This year’s Eid al-Fitr will not be remembered for the parties, but for the pain and grief of a people who are in the middle of one of the deadliest wars of the 21st century. There are still peace talks going on around the world, but the Palestinians in Gaza still need help, safety, and an end to the war that has destroyed their lives.